Conversion Diversion

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling, and Recreated Things

My mother’s jewelry box was always a mystery to me as a child.  I can see it in my mind so clearly…  a hinged lid that when opened, revealed two drawers of little square compartments overflowing with assorted trinkets and treasures.  I loved digging down into the layers, pulling out my favorite pieces…  a silver charm bracelet with mechanical charms (a tiny rotary telephone with a moving dial, a baby buggy with spinning wheels), a matching earring and necklace set comprised of a series of small wooden beads, and a Retro style ring with a synthetic ruby center.  Piece after piece, each one more intriguing than the next to my six-year-old eyes.  The box always sat on my mother’s dresser, neatly centered in front of the oversize mirror.  Unfortunately, she never wore the pieces inside. 

I know this resonates with many of you.  We all have those pieces that seem to float around the bottom of our jewelry box – getting pushed aside time and again as we sift through  searching for our favorites.  For many of us, the items that don’t get worn are pins…  circle pins, lapel pins, lingerie pins, and stick pins. 

At Joden, we have drawers full of stick pins…  hundreds of them.  We have enameled flowers, seed pearl accented love knots, hearts, and clovers, there are animals of every kind, sparkling gemstones, both silver and gold.  Stick pins are a great accessory and still look good threaded through a scarf or necktie – but if you’re just not a pin girl, here are some charming options. 

 

The photo on the left shows a sampling of former stick pins that have been converted to tiny charms.  The photo on the right showcases one of them on a delicate gold chain.  It’s a perfect pendant; able to be worn every day.  It’s a signature piece that can be worn alone or layered with another necklace or two. 

 

Maybe you have more than one stick pin, or perhaps you would like to start collecting them.  The bracelet on the left is a progression of cabochon gemstone charms- moonstone, amethyst, turquoise, jade, and opal.  The theme of the bracelet on the right is diamond trim – while each charm is uniquely different, the diamond accents bring it all together. 

Whether you have pins of your own or perhaps you need to check out the selection available at Joden, it’s all about conversion – giving new life to an old treasure.

“Go to our site and look, then come to Joden and touch.”

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Shelly Isacco

In Loving Memory

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling and Mourning Rings

Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter… 

Duck Face, Kissy Face, Smize, or Squnich…

Millenials are memorializing every detail of their lives, from the most mundane to the downright inappropriate – it’s all there on social media for the world to see.  I’m not averse to it…  I’ve been known to pose for a selfie or two, send out snaps and check in with my girls on Facebook – but some life events deserve more than a quick pic and a hasty status update.  Things like engagements and weddings, or perhaps when a new life begins, and certainly when a life ends. 

They were doing it right two hundred years ago.  When a loved one passed away, the bereavement process often included the creation of a special piece of jewelry; it was called mourning jewelry.  These unique treasures usually included the name of the deceased person as well as their death date.  Many also included a special compartment for a lock of hair.  These small trinkets were handed out at the funeral while more elaborate styles were worn by family members. 

These are just three of the mourning rings we have here at Joden.  Black enamel was a recurring theme in this type of jewelry (as you can see) as were pearls, urns, and flowers.  Each one of these rings is engraved (from left to right)…

  • T.T.J.  14.12.1893
  • M.H.C. Mourant died 6th Oct. 1866
  • W:  Terry OB: 24 Oct: 1809: AE 53

    

The trio of rings on the left are all very similar to each other; the hair receiver on top surrounded by natural pearls (usually signifying the loss of a child).  Only one of them actually contains hair – the other two are still waiting for someone to fill them.  The ring on the right was made in the Georgian period.  The delicate blonde tresses inside have been plaited into a basket-weave pattern completely surrounded by sparkling purple gemstones. 

    

Quite a lot of the mementos made in the 1800’s were brooches and lockets, like the ones shown here.  The two pins in the foreground are exceptional examples of the fine workmanship that mourning jewelry is known for.  The locket in the background is covered in a layer of black enamel with a pearl-centered flower on the front.  As you can see in the photo on the right, the locket appears to have never been used…  the original blue silk is still inside in pristine condition.

I readily admit that when one of my sons is doing something particularly adorable or noteworthy, the first thing I reach for is my cell phone – to capture that smile forever.  Photographs are truly worth a thousand words, and I cherish all of mine.  But I can’t help but feel that if I had a ring on my little finger (with a lock of my loved one’s hair safely cradled inside), it would be incredibly comforting to know that I carried a part of them with me every day.  I’m certain that each time I looked at the ring, I would smile.  And remember. 

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Shelly Isacco

Love Your Curve?

Joden Girl

Baubles, Bling, and Wedding Rings

This coming August will mark 17 years of marriage for my husband and I.  When we got engaged, he gave me an absolutely charming platinum diamond ring from the 1920’s.  It features a round diamond center flanked by curved shoulders set with tiny single cut diamonds…  all accented by a delicate milgrain edge.  I loved it then, I love it still.

When I started looking for a wedding band, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted…  however, I knew what I didn’t want.  I didn’t want a curved or contoured band.  I knew there would be times when I wanted to wear my wedding band by itself and I also knew that a gap or space between my engagement ring and wedding band wouldn’t bother me.  Vintage wedding bands were then and still are more difficult to find, and they often are not in wearable condition.  Ultimately, I decided on a custom made platinum and 18 karat yellow gold daisy band.  It’s a new ring with vintage flair – the perfect pairing for my engagement ring.  Check out the photo above…

At Joden, we stock hundreds of diamond engagement rings – from delicate Edwardian beauties to sleek modern solitaires.  We need a broad selection of wedding bands to compliment each of these rings.  Some ladies want a classic plain gold band while others are intrigued by the idea of a wedding band that dates back to the 1800’s.  We have them all…  curved bands, diamond bands, wide ones and narrow ones, high polish and heavily engraved.  Today, I want to share some of our vintage pieces.

This is a trio of three distinct platinum diamond bands.  Each of them is unique in design – from a simple row of nine channel set diamonds to a sophisticated eternity band set with diagonal rows of both baguette and round diamonds.  Pricing begins at $1400.

    

This array of beautifully carved and high polish bands is irresistible.  With engraving like this, who needs diamonds?  Two tone or all gold – the choices are dazzling.  Each of these bands is an authentic vintage ring dating back 75 years or more.  Pricing begins at just $300.00. 

Whether you’re searching for the ideal wedding band or an uncommon right hand ring, at Joden, the choices are endless.  Go to our site and look, then come to us and touch. 

Written by Carrie Martin

Photos by Shelly Isacco

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